Blinded
by Coffee Monsta
Summary: Archer's optic nerve gets damaged on a mission and he has temporarily lost most of his vision. He's very upset, but Toad stays with him and helps him while he recovers. Lots of angst and fluff with Archer and Toad!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello peoples! So I wanted to write about blind Archer... and here I am! SpitfireUSN and her friend Kat helped me with this, so big thanks to them! Lol, I appreciate SpitfireUSN cause she helps me out and puts up with my dumbness. And well... I just met Kat but she's really smart!**

 ***thumbs up***

 ***awkward silence***

 **SpitfireUSN: "Just start the story already!"**

 **Me: "Okay, okay! Jeez..."**

 **Lol, have fun! ;)**

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and dove behind the cover of a car as bullets slammed into the ground behind me. Toad was across the street to my right, helping provide cover fire for the others.

We were in Lebanon, Missouri to retrieve intel on Makarov's whereabouts and what he'd been up to lately, and we had successfully acquired it. Although now the problem was getting out of here alive, which the local militia didn't seem to want.

I yelped slightly in pain and surprise as a bullet grazed my upper arm. Shit, that burns... I shifted my focus back to the enemy and broke cover, raising my SR-25 into firing position and taking out several of the enemy before being forced to take cover again.

There were so many of them... I took down multiple others and pulled a magazine from my belt, hastily attaching it with a sigh. Surely the others were almost here by now... I thought I heard footsteps close by and spun around, eyes searching the area for movement.

There was none yet but I wasn't convinced... then a bullet whistled right by my head, efficiently persuading me to turn around and resume firing at the enemy. Big mistake. Just as I stood to fire, something incredibly hard rammed into the side of my head.

I felt a stab of pain, then everything went black.

* * *

As I slowly drifted back into consciousness the smell of antiseptic stung my nose. My head throbbed in time with my pulse, the annoying beeping of a heart monitor nearby not helping with my headache.

I vaguely felt the burn of an IV in my hand. I must be in the infirmary... but then where's Toad? What if something happened to him? I quickly opened my eyes... only to see nothing. I gasped in a breath and my heart leapt into my throat.

Panic flooded throughout my body and my hands flew to my face. I felt a washcloth there and felt so relieved, even laughing a bit at my stupidity. That is, until I realized that all I could see were blurry blobs of color, and even those were very dim, nearly invisible.

What kind of sick joke was this?! I threw the washcloth aside and pawed at my face- but this time nothing was there. I sat bolt upright, wincing as the pounding in my head increased and the room swayed. The panic returned full force, clawing its way up my throat and making it difficult to breathe.

Tears filled my unseeing eyes and my heart hammered in my chest as the heart monitor screamed its warnings. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't. My lungs burned for oxygen as I unsuccessfully tried to choke in a breath.

I heard footsteps rapidly approaching and nearly leapt from the bed in alarm. Darkness crept up from the edges of my extremely limited vision and the only reason I noticed was because the blobs of color got dimmer.

I hurriedly ripped out the IV, efficiently creating a makeshift weapon. I held the needle up threateningly, silently warning them to back the fuck off. My hands were shaking like crazy as tears raced down my cheeks.

"Archer, calm down. It's me, Doc. What's wrong?" A familiar voice asked as the blob inched closer.

I was about to yell at him for coming too close when my stomach lurched. I felt bile rise in my throat and I quickly leaned over the side of the bed. I retched and threw up all over the floor, not noticing that I had dropped the needle in the process.

I heard Doc mumble a few curses while I was dry heaving. Then another pair of footsteps ran into the room. I almost had a heart attack because whoever it was ran right up to me and hugged me.

I immediately began to struggle because I didn't know who the hell this was. It felt like Toad but I couldn't be sure... They tightened their grip, sending waves of panic coursing through me.

"Archer, it's me, Toad. Calm down, you're fine." Toad's voice said above me.

I stopped fighting, relieved that he was here and okay. But I couldn't stop crying, a feeling of helplessness settling in my stomach. I held onto him, burying my face in his chest and crying harder.

It made it more difficult to breathe, but at the moment I didn't care. He rubbed my back and was talking to Doc in a low voice. I flinched slightly when he kissed my cheek.

"Shhh, it's okay." He cooed, pulling me a bit closer.

He waited a few minutes for me to calm down. I did, but not much. I hated that I couldn't see.

"What's wrong, Arch?" He asked, trying to get me to look at him but I refused.

There was no point. I couldn't see his face anyways... I sniffled and wheezed in a breath to try and speak.

"... I c-can't see..." I choked out.

I felt Toad nod and he pulled me back so he could see my face. He wiped the tears from my cheeks and new ones replaced them almost immediately. I was still trembling slightly and it annoyed me but I couldn't stop. I could hear Doc digging around in the cabinets searching for something.

"Doc said this might happen. Can you see anything at all?" He asked, messing with my hair.

"I can see some c-colors... but it's r-really blurry..." I mumbled, hiding my face in his neck again.

"Okay, that's good."

I felt anger flare inside me. No, it's not fucking good. I can't see! It's _bad!_ I wanted to yell at him for daring to say anything positive, but I refrained from doing so.

Instead, I asked, "W-why can't I see?"

I heard whom I assumed was Doc approach and tensed, not wanting anyone but Toad close to me while I couldn't see. I felt so vulnerable it made me want to crawl in a hole and die.

"Do you remember what happened?" He asked quietly, well aware of my terrible headache.

"We were providing cover fire for everyone else so they could catch up... I reloaded and went to fire but everything went black." I said, glancing in his direction even though I couldn't really see him.

I think he nodded because the blob moved slightly.

"When that idiot hit you with the butt of his rifle, it damaged your optical nerve. But you can see some, which is good because it means the nerve isn't completely dead and although small, there's a chance for you to regain your vision." Doc explained.

My stomach dropped and I felt like I was going to puke again.

"H...How small of a chance?"

I felt Toad move slightly and Doc seemed to hesitate.

"Erm... let's not focus on that for now." He said awkwardly.

My heart fell. Well, there goes my career. Everything I've worked for, all gone. I felt empty. They must've seen how upset I looked because Toad held me closer and Doc sighed.

"It's not impossible for your vision to return, just rare. It might happen, you never know. But for the next few days I want you to wear this blindfold." He said, holding something up.

My heart rate spiked and I jumped, moving away from him. I did _not_ approve of that idea. At all. Was he insane?! As if it's not bad enough that I can barely see, he wants to take away the rest of my sight? What the fuck?! The only reason I stayed on that bed was because of Toad's tight grip on me, which he refused to loosen.

"Archer. _Archer!_ Listen-"

"No! I'm not going to wear a fucking blindfold! No!" I cried, weakly shoving at Toad in an attempt to make him let go.

"Ian!" Toad said as loudly as he could without hurting me.

"What?!"

They waited a moment for me to calm down some and listen, then Doc slowly began explaining.

"Your eyes are already damaged, and if light damages them further your sight will either stay like this permanently or you'll go completely blind. The blindfold is to protect your eyes from further damage while they heal. It's the best way to avoid complications and setbacks in your recovery..." He trailed off, glancing at Toad.

"Yeah, I gotta go with Doc on this one. I know you don't like it, but I'll stay with you the whole time until you get your vision back." He said reassuringly, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I probably won't get it back..." I grumbled quietly, tears rising in my eyes again.

"I guess you're stuck with me forever then, aren't you?" He laughed, ruffling my hair.

It didn't make me feel any better, but I was glad to have him around. Knowing Toad, he won't leave my side until I'm better, which makes me feel a bit less alone.

"I don't like it..." I whined.

"I know, but you wanna get better don't you?" Toad asked.

"...Yeah..."

"Well then you need to wear it. It's just for a few days, it won't be that bad."

After a few minutes of thought, I nodded hesitantly and allowed Doc to tie the blindfold in place around my eyes. I resisted the urge to shudder and fought down the panic that immediately rose up. I latched onto Toad. I felt like I was going to lose him forever if I let go of him. He seemed to understand and hugged me, rubbing comforting circles into my back.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna leave you." He whispered.

"I'm going to put the IV back in, you need the painkillers." I heard Doc say, feeling a slight burn as he slid the needle back into my hand.

He gave Toad instructions that I tuned out completely, and eventually he left. I heard Toad sigh and panicked when he moved me back on the bed, away from him.

"Easy, easy. I just want you to lay down and get some rest. I'll be right here, I promise."

I shook my head.

"Lay down with me. Please..." I begged, wanting him to stay as close as possible.

He chuckled slightly and said, "Alright."

He moved me to the left a bit and I tensed, hoping I wouldn't fall off the bed.

"I'm not gonna shove you off the bed, silly." He laughed, settling in beside me and pulling me close.

My head was on his shoulder and his arm was wrapped around my waist. I wanted nothing more than to see his handsome face... I hadn't realized I had been reaching for the blindfold until he grabbed my hand.

"No, Arch, don't touch."

I mumbled out an apology and felt him kiss my nose. I tried to relax so I could get some rest but it seemed like an impossible task with the blindfold on... I really hate this. I have no idea how I'm gonna keep this thing on for a few _days_.

Toad seemed to know what I was thinking and started stroking my hair, lulling me into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Tada! And that concludes chapter one! This'll have 3, maybe 5 chapters AT MOST because believe it or not, it is a short story. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this so far! I will update soon... probably. Please review! I love getting feedback from my readers! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! Omg I'm so lonely... I have no life besides this. *sadness* But it's okay. I get to write about blind Archer while other peoples are doing boring things! *evil giggles* I need to change the rating for this. Oops! Hehehe... enjoy... there's kissing...**

* * *

 **Toad P.O.V**

I was pulled from my sleep when I felt Archer thrashing beside me, small whimpers of fear escaping his lips. I opened my eyes and was sad to see him so distressed.

The obnoxious beeping of the heart monitor's rapid pace rang in my ears. I sighed and protectively pulled him closer, stroking his hair and whispering comforting words in his ear.

Apparently that startled him and in response he fought to get away from me, tears dampening the blindfold over his eyes.

"Shhh, baby it's me. Don't cry, everything's okay..." I whispered over the cries that flew from his lips.

I don't know if he was even awake, but he started talking.

"How 'm I s-supposed to be a sniper i-if I can't see...?" He whimpered, grabbing at the blindfold.

"Shhh, no Archer, don't touch," I said, holding his wrists in one hand while the other ran through his hair. "It's alright, just go back to sleep..."

To my relief, after a few minutes he quieted and fell asleep once more, the nightmares not disturbing him again for the rest of the night...

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

I awoke with a yawn, opening my eyes to complete and utter darkness. My lungs seemed to constrict, refusing to accept the oxygen they needed. Oh my god.

The panic caused my heart to hammer in my chest and I vaguely heard rapid beeping somewhere beside me. Suddenly a pair of arms enveloped me, a familiar voice murmuring comforting words in my ear.

"Hey, hey. Calm down, you're fine." Toad said softly, rubbing my back.

The events of yesterday came back to me and I wanted to cry all over again. I bit my lip and pulled him closer to me. I wanted to see his face _so_ badly. Not being able to see him makes me feel like he isn't here, and when he isn't here I feel alone. I hate it.

We laid there for a few minutes and I tried to pull myself together. I thought of what Toad looked like and tried to think of characteristics that made him... well, _him._ I was so deep in thought that I jumped when I felt his hands cup my cheeks.

"You okay, babe?" He asked, his voice filled with concern.

I shakily nodded, still trying to subdue the panic that threatened to rise up and take over. Toad could easily read me and knew damn well that I was far from okay.

I felt his hot breath on my cheeks right before he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. In that moment all of my stress and worry melted away into oblivion...

I was a bit surprised, as I couldn't see and hadn't really been expecting it, but I kissed him back after a moment. I felt one of his hands move up to gently hold the back of my neck as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

I felt his tongue prod at my lips and granted access freely, moaning in pleasure as it slipped in to wrestle with mine. I felt him smile against my lips and I could picture his grinning face. It made me feel somewhat better.

He pulled away after a few moments because sadly, both of us needed to breathe. I heard him laugh slightly and grinned in response.

"What is it?" I asked, wondering what was so funny.

He rubbed a thumb across my cheek and gave me a peck on the lips, effectively widening my smile.

"I made you smile." He chuckled, and I could feel him playing with my hair.

I nuzzled my face against his palm and he giggled.

"I love you." I mumbled.

"Love you too." He replied, my heart fluttering as he kissed me on the cheek.

We laid there for a while, just relaxing and enjoying each other's presence. It was peaceful for the first time since my accident. I had almost fallen asleep when Toad gently pulled me into a sitting position. I startled, instinctively looking around for the danger and forgetting that I couldn't see.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Doc's coming in to look you over, then we're free to go. Didn't you hear him say so yesterday?" He asked, wrapping an arm around my waist as he sat beside me.

I shook my head... He must've said that while I wasn't listening. I jumped when I heard footsteps approaching... I still wasn't used to not being able to see. But I didn't plan on getting used to it, either. I don't need to. Cause I'm gonna get better.

"Hey, Archer. How are you doing today?" Doc asked, his voice sounding nearby.

I shrugged slightly.

"Fine." I muttered, looking up to my left, where I assumed his face was.

He laughed and said, "Over here."

He was to my right. Damn it. I felt a blush spreading across my cheeks, making matters worse. I wish I could get this over with quickly and leave.

"Okay, I'm gonna remove your IV, then clean your wound and check your eyes. Then we'll be all done, alright?" He explained, and I nodded silently.

Even though I knew it was coming, I couldn't help but flinch when he pulled the IV needle out. It burned... He pressed a cotton ball to it, to stop the bleeding, and put a band-aid over it to keep it in place.

He pulled my sleeve up a bit to get at the wound and began unwrapping the bandages. When those were gone, he cleaned the wound with peroxide and wrapped it in fresh bandages.

"Your stitches look good and there's no sign of infection. I'll remove those in... probably two days. Now, let's see those eyes." He said, tugging the blindfold off.

Holy shit. I wasn't expecting him to do that. I blinked, trying to get the room to quit swaying. Hey... wait a minute. The room. I can see the room! Oh my god!

Well... kinda. It's less blurry and a bit lighter. Now, instead of extremely blurry blobs of color, I could make out shapes and name a few objects really close to me. Far away is still super blurry, but it's definitely an improvement.

"Can you see any better or is it the same as yesterday?" Doc asked curiously.

"It's definitely better. Far away is still the same, but I can make out closer objects. Yesterday they were unrecognizable blobs that were super blurry but now it's clearer."

Toad released a sigh of relief and hugged me.

"Damn, seriously?"

I nodded, looking around, still thrilled that I could make out a few objects.

"That's great! It's rare that people recover from nerve damage, but it seems like you're on your way to a full recovery. Don't get too optimistic though, we're not there yet. I'm going to put this back on now, don't wanna damage your eyes."

I pouted as he tied the blindfold back in place. Well... I had freedom for a moment. Now it's dark again. Shit.

"Leave that on. Toad, don't let him take it off. I know he'll try at some point." He warned and I rolled my eyes.

Too bad they didn't see it...

"Anyways, Archer, you look fine. You're free to go but for fuck's sake, be careful. I don't want to hear that you wandered off on your own and fell down the stairs or something. Oh, and I almost forgot to ask, do you want more pain meds before you go?"

I shook my head, ignoring the dull throb that had developed in the back of it. It wasn't bad enough for me to need pain meds... Plus if he gave them to me I'd be asleep for at least half of the day. Those things always knock me out and I kinda feel like he does that on purpose...

He patted my shoulder and I heard him stand up.

"Alright then, enjoy your freedom. Hope you get better, Archer." He said cheerfully, beginning to clean up his medical supplies.

"Thanks, Doc. See ya later!" Toad replied.

I turned my head to my left, the side of me that Toad was on, and looked up. He's taller than me, so I always know where his head is when he sits beside me.

I kissed along his jaw line and asked, "So where are we going?"

He chuckled and said, "Well I was thinking the rec room, but if you don't want to it's fine."

I hesitated. The rec room is... to put it shortly- very loud with a lot going on all at once. Every noise would probably scare the shit out of me. I knew I would be overwhelmed if we went there... I pawed at the back of my neck, a habit of mine when I was nervous.

"Uhhh... can we just hang out in our room? The rec room's kinda loud..." I mumbled.

"Sure! But first, are you hungry? If you are we can stop by the mess hall and grab some food."

I shook my head... the thought of food makes me nauseous. Toad laughed and patted my cheek.

"You just turned green, Arch. Alright, let's go. You think you can walk?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

I stood on wobbly legs and he pulled my arm across his shoulder, supporting some of my weight. I took a few hesitant, slow steps and he patiently waited for me to adjust. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him...

"You good?" He asked.

He worries about me so much... I feel loved.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Please don't let me run into anything..." I laughed nervously.

He kissed me on top of the head.

"I wouldn't do that. Roach totally would. But I'm not gonna, so you don't need to worry."

"Yay..." I giggled.

We walked out the door and down the hallway, to the room we shared. Toad let go of me, telling me to stay put while he opened the door. After a moment I heard a slight click that told me the door was unlocked. He lead me inside and I heard the door shut behind us.

"Here, sit on the bed." He ordered, placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me onto the soft surface.

I felt the bed dip when he sat beside me, pulling me down to lay with him. I sighed and snuggled up against him, listening to his heart beat and wishing we could lay here together forever.

* * *

 **A/N: This was such a fluffy chapter... so cute! I love these two, they're just so adorable! Please gimme reviews~ *puppy dog eyes***


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! I know I haven't updated this in a few weeks, which is why I'm back! *cheers* Yaaay! Also- Jack is Archer's father's name, just so you'll know.**

 **Enjoy the super angsty chapter! :D Btw, you guys don't need to read the part below this. It's just to remind me so I don't forget to include a certain part next chapter.**

 **Reminder for me- *Remove the** **stitches in Archer's arm next chapter***

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

At some point I had fallen asleep. Ah, sleep. It was such a peaceful place. You didn't need to worry about anything while you were asleep. Nothing hurt, nothing stressed you out. There was just... _nothing._ And it was nice.

Well, it was until the nightmares came. Nightmares are a terrible thing. They drag you away from the warm, peaceful land of sleep into a dark hole filled with fear and despair. Monsters track you down, following you relentlessly until they manage to trap you in some dark corner of your mind.

After that anything can happen. And that's what scares me the most. I hate the unpredictable. I always have and always will, hence my hatred of blindness. Without my sight, anything can happen because I wouldn't be able to see anything I needed to avoid.

Blindness makes you ignorant. You aren't aware of your surroundings, which means you're vulnerable. I hate being vulnerable. But finally- vulnerability leads to the feeling of complete and utter helplessness.

And I loathe that feeling more than _anything._ I had always felt it, all throughout my childhood because of my bastard of a father. God, I hate that man. No, he doesn't deserve to be called a man, because he's _not._ He's a coward who had had a habit of beating his wife, and if he got the chance, his son.

He continued to beat me, even after mom had passed away. I suppose old habits die hard. That was why I had joined the army in the first place, to get away from him. Just thinking about ever going on leave made me shake with fear because I had no other family, nowhere else to stay other than with _him._

Yeah, I hated the guy and wanted nothing more than to stab him in his ugly face. But I was also terrified of him, probably too much so to ever willingly go near him again.

I often saw him, in my nightmares, which brings me to what was happening now...

 _I was 14 again, running desperately from the furious, stomping footsteps thundering along behind me. Jack was coming. No no no,_ please _no!_

 _Tears raced down my cheeks, blurring my vision as my exhausted legs continued to carry me down the corridor. But for how much longer?_

 _I skidded around a corner, so frenzied that I had forgotten it was a dead end. I spun around faster than I thought possible and tried to go back the other way, but Jack had already blocked the exit._

 _He stood there, his arms crossed as he smiled triumphantly. Even from nearly ten feet away, I could smell the pungent stench of alcohol radiating off of him._

 _The familiar smell clogged my nostrils, causing my panic to skyrocket, my heart thumping loudly in my ears. Honestly I was shocked he couldn't hear it._

 _"I knew I would catch you at some point, you good for nothing little whore." He slurred, lurching drunkenly to the side._

 _I mistook that for the right moment to move. It wasn't. I rushed forward and kicked him in the groin as hard as I could before swerving around him and bolting down the hallway._

 _Sadly for me, he recovered much faster than I thought any man could after receiving such a blow. His arm snaked around my neck and the next thing I knew, I was pinned under him on the floor, struggling to breathe._

 _"You really thought you would get away with that, bitch?! You'll never get away from me. I'll teach you a damn good lesson for doing that, you little freak!"_

 _He straddled my hips, keeping his right forearm on my neck, efficiently cutting off my oxygen and holding me in place all at once. He launched a viscous jab at my face, hitting me square in the nose._ _I heard a pop and screamed weakly as blood went everywhere._

 _"Shut up, you useless excuse for a human! If the neighbors hear, you're dead!" He growled, grabbing me by the hair and wrenching my head up._

 _I released a strangled cry- well, it was more of a croak because of my lack of air- as he stood, keeping a painfully tight grip on my hair and dragging me along as well._

 _He dragged me further down the hall, and by the time he stopped I was sure he had yanked all of my hair out, as well as parts of my scalp. My head pulsed in time with my frantic heartbeat as he dumped me on the floor, releasing his grip on me._

 _I faintly heard water running and dumbly wondered why he needed water. I was so tired, but I knew bad things would happen if I didn't get away. I gathered the small amount of energy I had left and began to crawl away as fast as I could, which, for the record, wasn't fast in any way imaginable._

 _That was when a boot rammed into my stomach, forcing the air from my lungs and causing bruises to begin to form along the area almost immediately. I tried to get up, but was harshly kicked down again._

 _He kicked me again and again, until it was impossible for me to retaliate in any way, all the while furiously shouting profanities and hurtful words. My blood soaked the floor, as well as the lower half of my face, my shirt, and Jack's hands._

 _He had broken several of my ribs, leaving others cracked and bruised as well. Every shallow breath I took felt like I was being stabbed brutally in the side with a knife covered in lava._

 _It was not a pleasant feeling. In fact, I believe it was as far away from pleasant as it was possible to get. I was wrong for the second time that night. Jack grabbed me by the hair again, pulling me into the bathroom and draping me over the edge of the tub._

 _The porcelain dug excruciatingly into my injured ribs and I shrieked, pulling back about an inch before he grabbed me and forced me to bend over it again. Blood dripped from my nose, into the water below and turning it almost pink. How pretty, I thought absently._

 _"We'll see if you ever dare to defy me again after this." He laughed cruelly, shoving my head under the freezing water that filled the tub._

 _The only thought that managed to get through the wreck of all my scrambled ones was- I can't breathe. The water was so cold and I had gasped in surprise when he shoved me under, inhaling the water into my lungs and making things worse._

 _My lungs burned for oxygen and I bucked against Jack's hand in an attempt to get the precious air that lingered just above the surface. My ribs screamed at me in protest of being crushed against the unforgiving porcelain._

 _It was terrifying, knowing that Jack of all people had control over my life at that moment. He's gonna kill me. I know it. Gray spots danced across my blurry vision and I stopped struggling as the last of my energy drained away._

 _He yanked my head up and I had never appreciated oxygen more than I did in that moment. I greedily gasped in huge lungfuls of it, completely disregarding the stabbing pain in my ribs and the uncomfortable sensation of bone scraping against bone._

 _I vaguely heard him saying something, but couldn't make it out over the incessant pounding in my ears. I didn't care though, he was probably just insulting me anyways. I had oxygen. Nothing else mattered._

 _Well, it didn't until he shoved me back under again. Nooo! Not again! I choked as I tried feebly to bring more air into my lungs, but received water instead._

"Shhh, calm down, I've got you. It's not real..." A familiar voice in the distance said.

 _I was going to die. This time he didn't pull me back up until my vision went black, at which point I was barely even conscious. I was violently shaking all over, the tears that spilled from my eyes mixing with the water and blood in the tub._

"Archer! Archer wake up!"

 _Jack laughed and pulled me back, thankfully away from the tub, and slammed me into the nearest wall. The air I had only_ just _dragged into my lungs was abruptly forced back out of them and I wheezed, trying to regain my breath._

"Hold him down!"

"I'm _trying!_ "

"Well obviously not hard enough!"

 _I felt like I was going to be sick. Everything hurt so bad. Darkness slowly crept up from the edges of my vision, gradually closing in._

I felt a sharp prick in my arm, and almost immediately waves of exhaustion washed over me, pulling me back into the land of warm, peaceful sleep once again...

* * *

 **A/N: Told ya it was angsty. BOOOM! I wanted to show you guys some of Archer's childhood, which was very sad. *tears* He had a _bad_ one, almost as bad as Roach's. But not quite that terrible. **

**I was thinking about writing something that had to do with Jack mistreating him... maybe a bit more of his childhood (similar to this) or Archer might have to go on leave for some reason and stay with him.**

 **Ideas? Thoughts? Although the initial question is- is anyone _interested_ in a story involving that? ****Please let me know in a review or PM! And of course, let me know how the chapter was! Byeee! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello peoples! So... SpitfireUSN really wanted an update... hence the update! Tadaaa! Plus, she's totally gonna update Stoic (somebody better write this down, a miracle is in the works) and I've been waiting for that** ** _forever!_**

 **So, without further ado, chapter 4 of Blinded.**

* * *

 **Toad P.O.V**

I sighed and wiped the back of my hand across my forehead. It came away slick with sweat.

"Damn, that was bad." Doc panted, setting the empty syringe on the bedside table.

He had rushed into the room with a sedative after hearing Archer's screams from his room at the end of the hall. I glanced at the clock, which told me it was 4 in the morning. That's just lovely.

"No shit, Sherlock. Will he be okay?"

He ignored my sarcasm and replied, "He should be fine, he didn't tear his stitches and I think it's safe to assume he didn't hit anything."

I shook my head in answer. Nope, he hadn't hit anything... but that doesn't mean he didn't _try._ He damn near kicked the nightstand over.

"Alright, I'm gonna go grab some supplies, as I need to remove his stitches today. I suggest you clean him up, but try to stay close by until he wakes up and remember to keep the blindfold on."

"Can I just take it off for a few minutes, while he's still out?"

He seemed to think for a moment.

"Hmmm, I suppose so. But keep the lights off or at least very dim, just in case he happens to wake up."

"Okay, I will. How long do you think he'll be out?" I asked, pulling Archer's limp form into my arms and wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"Forty five minutes to an hour at most, so you'd better get to it. I'll be back in a while to remove the stitches in his arm."

I sighed and nodded, leaving Archer on the bed for the moment and heading to the bathroom to start a warm bath. When the tub was full, I shut off the water and brought Archer in.

I stripped him of his sweat soaked pants and shirt, his boxers coming off shortly after them. I lowered him into the warm water and washed his hair first.

Then I turned off the lights and removed the blindfold for a few minutes, taking the time to gently clean the guck from his eyes with a warm washcloth. I made sure to put the blindfold back on afterwards. After that was done, I carefully washed the rest of him.

The whole process took about 15 minutes, and when I was finished I wrapped him in a towel and laid him in bed, then searched the room for clothes.

After a few minutes, I had successfully retrieved his boxers, a pair of ripped black skinny jeans, and Archer's favorite maroon hoodie.

I would've just put him in a t-shirt, but Archer got cold so easily that I felt a warm hoodie was needed. I laughed slightly, thinking about how cute he looked in it.

I pulled the younger man into a sitting position and tugged the hoodie over his head, careful not to dislodge the blindfold while doing so. Next came the boxers and pants, both of which were a bit of a challenge because of his long legs, but somehow I managed to get them on.

All the while, Archer slept like a log, which worried me. I knew he had been sedated and Doc said he would be out for almost an hour... but Archer had always been a light sleeper.

If someone entered the bedroom or tapped his shoulder, he was instantly awake. The only exception was when he was injured (and tired because pain meds= drowsiness) or he knew it was me, at which point he would continue to sleep peacefully.

Therefore, I was a bit concerned because this entire time, while I undressed, bathed, and clothed him, he hadn't so much as twitched.

But I suppose that's normal when people get sedated...? I've seen Roach sedated plenty of times and when I really thought about it, I realized he was exactly like this and my worry decreased. Archer's fine... I hope.

I sighed and sat beside him, toweling his hair dry while examining his face... but mostly his lips. They were pink and perfectly shaped, parted slightly to emit soft snores and every once in a while, a sigh.

I wish he would wake up so I could talk to him... I have a bad feeling that nightmare was about Jack, his abusive father.

He usually didn't have nightmares very often and when he did, I'm always able to calm him down. Except for when they're about Jack.

But this is the second one he's had in two days and it worries me. I've heard Doc say that stress can cause nightmares... maybe that's it? Archer's certainly stressed out because of the situation with his eyes...

But I wish the nightmares would stop. I hate seeing him upset... My thoughts were interrupted when Doc walked in with a bin of supplies. I smiled tiredly at him.

"Hi," I said.

He grinned and sat on the opposite side of Archer, setting the bin on the nightstand.

"Hey, how is he?"

I shrugged and unconsciously combed a hand through his hair.

"I think he's okay... But he still hasn't moved at all."

Doc laughed slightly while cleaning his arm with an alcohol doused cotton ball.

"That's to be expected, he's not gonna move until he starts to wake up."

I frowned and said, "Are you _sure_? Even Roach doesn't seem this... lifeless when he gets sedated!"

He smiled as he began to carefully remove the stitches.

"Yes, Toad, I'm sure. He'll be fine. Now would you please let me do my job?"

"Fine..." I sighed slumping back onto the bed beside Archer.

The room was silent until he finished, which took less than 5 minutes. Then he pulled a syringe from the container and began filling it with a clear liquid. He rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie and I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"What's that for?"

"Stress. I have a feeling the nightmares have been occurring so frequently because of all the stress he's under. This'll keep him calm and he won't be nearly as stressed out." He replied, injecting the medicine into his arm.

He set the empty syringe aside and I wondered if Archer was gonna wake up soon... it couldn't be too long now, right? I looked up just in time to see him filling another syringe. I raised an eyebrow in question.

"Pain meds," he explained, knowing I was curious without even looking up, "his arm will be a bit sore and he most likely has a mild headache that he failed to mention. Honestly, I probably should have given them to him yesterday as well but he already has a lot on his plate..."

I nodded understanding and wrapped an arm around Archer's waist as he began to stir.

Doc quickly finished giving him his medicine and put a bandaid over the area, pulling his sleeve back down after that was done. He looked at me as he started to clean up his supplies.

"I'm just going to warn you now, he's gonna be drowsy as fuck because of the meds in his system. He'll probably sleep on and off throughout the remainder of the day, but do your best to get some food in him."

"Alright, I will. Thanks for taking care of him..."

"You did most of the work, I just gave him meds and removed his stitches. Anyways, I'll be back in a few hours to check up on you two. Take good care of him and remember to leave the blindfold on."

"Yes, mom. I most certainly will." I muttered as he approached the door.

He glanced back at me over his shoulder with a smirk.

"I heard that."

I grinned.

"Good, now we all know you aren't deaf."

He sighed and shook his head, leaving the room.

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

Ugh... so... tired. Why the fuck am I so tired?! I wanna get up and... and _do_ something, but I can't cause my limbs feel like jello. Hehehe... jello. That stuff is so much fun to play with.

After several minutes, I gathered enough energy to roll over and nearly had a heart attack when my shoulder bumped into an arm. I yelped and my eyes opened but it was still completely dark. What the fuck...?

"Oh, sorry, Arch! Didn't mean to scare you. You okay?" Toad's voice asked.

I gasped. Yaaay! It's Toad! I grinned dopily and scooched closer to where his voice had come from.

"Toady Toad Toad..." I sang, latching onto his arm.

He laughed and I nearly squealed in delight. Then I inhaled and frowned slightly. Huh... it smells like pumpkins in here.

Why does it smell like pumpkins? Oh no... maybe there's pumpkin monsters in here! I've heard about those things! They _eat_ people! I shuddered and Toad pulled me closer.

"What's wrong?"

"Pumpkin monsters... gonna eat me..." I mumbled out.

He giggled and I wondered what part of a pumpkin monster was funny.

"I won't let them eat you, don't worry." Toad laughed, kissing me on the forehead.

"M'kay... don't let them eat you either..."

"I'll be careful."

I snuggled up close to him and felt him playing with my hair. That's nice... Ugh, now I'm even more tired than before. I think I used all of my energy up...

So... tired... but Toad's here and I know he'll protect me from the pumpkin monsters.

I just hope they don't eat him instead...

* * *

 **A/N: Lol... pumpkin monsters. How interesting. Omg, Archer is so adorable when he's sleepy. *fangirl squeal* Anyways, I hope this chapter has satisfied your need for fluff and angst.**

 **Also, this story will be a bit longer than I anticipated, but that's okay because I'm having fun with it and you guys seem to be enjoying it as well.**

 **Please review and tell me how the chapter was! I love hearing from you guys! Byeee! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! I figured I'd work on this before starting on chapter 26 of Ghosts Don't Break because I haven't updated this since... *checks date* August 17th.**

 **Wow... it's been over a month! Goodness! Time really flies... Sorry, lol. I didn't realize it had been that long. But I'm updating now, so enjoy! ;)**

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

I sighed in my sleep and snuggled closer to the warm body next to me. I immediately recognized it as Toad's and smiled, turning my head to get a look at his handsome face.

That's when I remembered that my vision was screwed up and I had the blindfold on. My heart sank, but I wasn't scared because I knew Toad was with me. As long as he's with me I'll be fine, no matter what happens.

"Archer? Are you awake, love?" He asked, and I felt the mattress shift as he sat up some.

"Mhmmm..."

I yawned and reached up a hand to scrub at my eyes but Toad caught it and said, "No, baby, don't touch."

I grumbled and tried to pull my hand away, but he held onto it and laughed at me.

"Why are you so grumpy? Did the pumpkin monsters bite you?" He chuckled, releasing my hand and messing with my hair instead.

Pumpkin monsters? What the hell is he talking about...? He must've seen my confused expression, which only caused him to laugh more.

"Wha you talkin' 'bout?" I mumbled, resisting the urge to sleep more.

I was exhausted even though I had only just woken up. The blindfold keeping my eyes closed didn't help either.

"Oh, nothing. You probably don't remember anyways. I'm gonna grab you some food, you must be starv-"

"No... 'm not hungry."

"But... but you _need_ to eat! You of all people should know that, Arch!"

"Shhh... 'M tired..." I whispered, raising a finger to his lips to silence him.

He kissed my hand and I retracted it with a giggle.

"You can go back to sleep after you eat."

"Nuh uh."

"Yu huh!"

I whacked him on the arm.

"Nooo."

"Yesss. Don't argue with me on this! I may not like it, but I _will_ force feed you if that's what it takes to help you recover. I'll have Doc help me!" He threatened.

I sighed exasperatedly and mumbled, "I want a burger and fries... from McDonald's..."

I heard him laugh slightly and frowned, wondering what was so funny about MacDonald's. I jumped when suddenly his soft lips pressed against mine.

I felt him smile against my lips and I kissed him back, exploring every inch of his mouth until we had to part for air. He laid beside me and I snuggled up beside him, perfectly content even though I couldn't see.

After a few minutes of laying there together, he sighed and said, "I'd better get going if you want McDonald's. Rest until I get back, alright? I won't be gone long. I love you."

I whined and grabbed his arm as he went to stand. I don't want him to go... He placed his warm hand on mine and rubbed his thumb across the top of it.

"Honey, the sooner I leave, the sooner I'll be back. I'll hurry, okay?"

I pouted.

"I don' need food..." I grumbled, tightening my weak grip on his arm.

He pried my hand from his arm and pulled the covers further up around me. I yawned and tried to focus on something other than sleep. Toad leaned down to give me a peck on the lips and ruffle my hair.

I gave him a small smile and nuzzled against his hand.

"I love you, baby."

"Love you too..."

I heard his footsteps leaving and the door closing, then I fell asleep again.

* * *

I woke up to the boom of thunder and crack of lightning, the pitter-patter of rain on my bedroom window.

I felt goosebumps appear all over my body and the hairs on the back of my neck raise. I shuddered, flinching when lightning struck outside, and sat up some.

"T-Toad?" I croaked.

I was met with silence and a cold, empty space beside me in bed. My heart raced in my chest and I felt like crying. This was the worst scenario imaginable. I was in my room, blind and _alone_ while a thunderstorm raged outside my window. Great.

I think the worst part of it was not being able to see anything. I could hear the rain and lightning outside, but I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't see my bedroom, the door, or my window. It scared me so much I started shaking like a fucking Chihuahua.

My first instinct was to rip the blindfold off, throwing it as far away as I could possibly manage. But then I thought about what Doc had said about me being blind permanently if my eyes were damaged further.

If I took the blindfold off and the lights were on, I would ruin them. As much as I hated this, I didn't want to be blind forever. I would rather die.

I jumped, crying out in fear as another lightning bolt hit home, making its presence known with a deafening _crack_. I accidentally knocked my head against the headboard, causing it to throb in time with my erratic pulse.

I groaned and my hands flew to my head, feeling a bump forming there already. Thunder boomed, rattling the window, and I grabbed my pillow, covering my ears in a desperate attempt to drown out the storm.

I choked on a sob when it didn't help in the least. I felt so alone that it was suffocating. I felt like I was being squeezed to death by a python, which made it difficult to breathe.

I wanted Toad. He always made everything better, even storms, which were unbearable for me. Especially when I was alone. I whimpered, my shaking intensifying, when lightning struck again and again, the thunder sounding like several enormous bass drums in the sky.

Tears were pouring from my eyes at this point, soaking the blindfold and the bed sheets below me. I couldn't breathe. Suddenly the door burst open, strong arms wrapping around me shortly after.

I immediately recognized him, if not by his arms, then by his scent. Pine trees and cologne. Relief washed over me and I gasped in air like a fish out of water.

"T-Toad..." I choked out, burying my face in his warm chest.

"Shhh, it's okay, just breathe." He whispered, rubbing soothing circles into my back.

I sniffled and pulled myself closer to him. Words could not possibly describe how relieved I felt now that he was back.

"Aw, honey! You're shaking! I'm so sorry I was gone for so long. Traffic was absolutely insane, but I'm here now. You're fine..."

Lightning struck again and I jumped, my whole body tensing.

"Shhh, just relax, it's okay."

I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist and tried to ignore the sounds of the raging storm outside. I wanted to see his face _so_ badly... I haven't seen it in what seems like years. I wonder if I'll ever get to see it again...

Doc said my eyes _seemed_ to be on the road to recovery. He also said not to get my hopes up, which usually is the nice way of saying 'it's not gonna happen'.

The thought made tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't imagine never seeing his face again... that'd be absolutely awful. What if a few days ago, on the battlefield, had been the last time I'd ever get to see him?

I choked on a sob thinking that with my luck, that was probably true. I'd have to leave the 141 as well. I'd have to stay with... Jack. No no no, I could _not_ do that. No matter what happens, I'm _not_ going back there! My heartbeat sped up rapidly at the horrifying memories that flashed through my mind.

Toad brushed my hair out of my eyes and said, "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you so upset, baby?"

"W-what if I never get to s-see your face again? What if... what if my eyes don't heal and I-I have to leave and stay with J-" I was interrupted when his lips crashed against mine, efficiently silencing me.

His tongue wandered into my mouth, clashing with mine in a battle for dominance. The kiss cleared my head, if nothing else. In fact, it did a bit... _too_ good of a job.

I literally forgot what I was upset over _20 seconds_ ago. Although I believe the meds Doc has been pumping into me had a hand in it too... my mind has been quite foggy ever since I woke up. Now I know how Roach feels when I shove meds in his face.

I was panting by the time we parted for air. Toad trailed soft kisses down my neck and I moaned when he started sucking on an especially sensitive spot. He paused after a moment and sighed.

"What-"

Thunder boomed again outside and I nearly had a heart attack, screaming like a little girl. He laughed slightly and pushed me to lay down on the bed. I was instantly tired when my head hit the pillow, but it was nothing I couldn't ignore.

"Goodness, Archie. You sound like Roach when he needs stitches." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around me and pulling the blanket up.

"It's n-not funny, Toad."

"Yes it is."

Suddenly he seemed to get more serious. I could _feel_ his mood shift, plus body language is always a good indicator, and he tensed slightly.

"Everything will be fine, I promise. You'll see." He said quietly, brushing a hand through my hair.

"Don't promise things you aren't sure of." I replied stiffly.

"Either way, I'll always be by your side. I'll love you no matter what happens."

I smiled slightly and said, "Really?"

"Yes, of course. And you'll never have to see Jack again as long as I'm here."

I shuddered just hearing his name. But I felt that I could trust Toad, that he was being honest. I felt so much safer around him and if anything ever happened to him, I'd die.

"Mmmmm... I love you too." I hummed, lazily kissing at his neck.

He laughed and said, "So... you still hungry for McDonald's?"

"Ha... haha... no."

* * *

 **A/N: Lol, that was kinda random... ish. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am aware that it was kinda boring, but next chapter will be more exciting! I promise! Byeee! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi... I'm back! SpitfireUSN kept bugging me, but then she gave me an idea, so I decided to try and update. Enjoy the chapter! ;)**

* * *

 **Toad P.O.V**

Archer fell asleep about 10 minutes after we laid down, which didn't surprise me considering the circumstances. I sighed and wondered when Doc would be coming in to check on him...

It's been about 3 and a half hours since he'd removed his stitches and given him his meds. I'm really hoping Archer's eyes are getting better. I _need_ an update on his condition... Plus, I can tell he's getting restless.

I know he wants an update as well, but he's probably scared that they aren't healing properly. If they aren't, he's gonna be heartbroken. He also has a habit of attempting to ignore bad things that are happening, although that's pretty difficult in this situation... because he can't see.

I glanced at him when he started moving, as if he couldn't get comfortable all of the sudden. He whined and writhed around in distress, but luckily it wasn't _nearly_ as bad as last time.

I wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him against me so his back was flush against my chest. I ran my free hand through his hair and placed soft kisses along his jaw line.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay..." I murmured.

He calmed down and went back to sleep after a couple minutes. I was relieved that he didn't wake up. He needs the rest and I hate seeing him freak out every time he wakes up. It makes me sad...

Not to mention that once he's freaked out, it's hard to calm him down. I sighed and tucked the blankets closer around his small form. I can tell he's lost some weight because he hasn't been eating and he's so stressed...

I really need to get him to eat something when he wakes up. He already has enough on his plate without being malnourished and dehydrated on top of everything.

I jumped when there was a quiet knock at the door. Archer flinched and mumbled in his sleep, but settled down on his own after a few moments. I climbed out of bed, careful not to move him, and opened the door as soundlessly as I could manage.

Doc waved to me and peeked into the room. He saw that Archer was asleep and grinned.

"How's he doing?" He whispered.

I shrugged slightly and replied, "Okay, I guess. But I haven't been able to get him to eat..."

He frowned and said, "He definitely needs to eat something when he wakes up, then. But why hasn't he eaten? He _has_ to be hungry by now..."

"I believe he's been too stressed to think about it. I went out and got him McDonald's earlier, but the storm came and by the time I got here, he was all freaked out. I tried to get him to eat after he had calmed down a bit, but he didn't want to."

He seemed to think for a moment.

"I can understand him being stressed, but he still needs to eat. If we can't get him to eat or drink, we'll have to put him on IV fluids again. But that can't wholly support him, so he'll need to eat. It's not something we can get around..."

I nodded.

"I know... but don't worry. I'll talk him into it, one way or another." I paused, thinking. "Oh, did you need to check on him?"

"Yeah, he's due for more meds and I wanted to check on his eyes. But since he's resting, it can wait until he wakes up... Unless you feel otherwise."

"Nah, I can get him up. He's been sleeping for a while anyways. Plus once the meds are in his system, he'll get tired and fall asleep again, so he'll get plenty of rest. But... doesn't he need to eat something before you give him more meds?" I asked, walking over and sitting on the bed.

"I'd prefer that he did, because it could upset his stomach if he doesn't. So yes, he should do that after I'm done checking his eyes."

"Alright, I'll try to get him to eat..." I replied, pulling the blankets down and patting Archer's cheeks. "Archer, baby wake up..."

* * *

 **Archer P.O.V**

Hands were pawing at my face, a low voice saying things I was too tired to process. I whined, thinking about solving the problem by swatting the hands away, but I really didn't feel like moving.

"I know, I know, it sucks. But you need to wake up so Doc can look you over!" I heard Toad say when my ears had decided to work.

"Nooo." I grumbled, resisting the strong hands that pulled me into a sitting position.

"Yeeessss!" He chuckled, "Come on, he'll be quick, I promise. Wake uuuuppp!"

I groaned and reluctantly pushed the thought of going back to sleep from my mind.

"Wa's he wanna do?" I asked through a yawn, reaching a hand up to scrub at my gritty eyes.

I jumped when a hand caught mine, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment when I realized I had forgotten again. I wasn't supposed to rub at my eyes.

"Don't-"

"I know. Lemme 'lone." I hissed, pulling my hand away.

"Goodness, Toad, maybe you shouldn't have woken him up. I feel like he's going to bite my hand off if I touch him." Doc laughed.

"He wouldn't do that, he's a sweetie." Toad murmured, ruffling my hair.

"If you say so... Archer, I'm gonna take your blindfold off, but don't open your eyes yet. I need to clean them up a bit first, so your vision won't be impaired by guck."

I snorted and mumbled, "Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome!" He replied cheerfully, slipping my blindfold off.

I felt an immense wave of relief wash over me as soon as it was gone.

 _Oh, thank god._

I flinched slightly when a hand caught my chin, keeping me in place while a warm washcloth dabbed at my eyes. I sighed... it felt kinda nice, even though it made me wanna go back to sleep.

"Okay," he said, carefully drying my eyes, "you can open them. I'll warn you though, it's gonna be a bit dark, because we only have the lamp across the room on."

 _Yeah, yeah, whatever._

I opened my eyes and glanced around the room, my heart beating with excitement. I turned around to see a blurry- yet visible- Toad sitting next to me. I smiled and hid my face in my hands as tears of relief rolled down my cheeks.

Toad pulled me into his chest and rested his head on top of mine.

He rubbed my back and hesitantly asked, "Hey... are those happy tears or sad tears? Because I really can't tell..."

I let out a wet laugh and replied, "Happy." I sniffled. "I can see your face now. I missed it s-so much..."

"How much detail can you see?" Doc asked curiously.

"More than last time, that's for sure. It's like when a person who doesn't need glasses puts them on anyways. I can tell what things are, but it's kinda blurry."

He hummed, seemingly thinking about something.

"Here, Toad, let go of him for a minute. Archer, stop crying, I need to test something." He ordered, and I felt the bed shift as he scooted back.

Toad released me and patted me on the head as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"Okay, now look at me. What kind of face am I making?" Doc asked.

I snorted and said, "Are you ser-"

"Yes, Archer, I'm serious. Just do it."

I sighed in defeat and looked at him. He had moved a few feet away from me, so it was a bit difficult for me to see his expression.

I narrowed my eyes and said, "You're either frowning or constipated, I can't tell which from here."

He let out a short bark of laughter and I jumped, having not anticipated it.

 _I'm gonna have a heart attack if people keep scaring me like that..._

Toad giggled and then there was a loud _thump._ I'm pretty sure he fell off the bed.

 _And he says_ I'm _a klutz..._

"Yes, I was frowning. And _no,_ I'm not constipated, thank you very much. But I'm glad you're improving. We're putting the blindfold back on for now, but you should be well enough to take it off by... Let's say Tuesday."

"Uuuggggh. But it's only Sunday! Toad, is it the morning or evening?"

"Evening." He answered.

I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, sounding like a dying animal. I _felt_ like one, that's for sure.

"Quit your whining, Archer. It could be worse!" Toad said cheerfully.

I raised my head up a bit to look at him... Well, in his general direction, at least.

"How?"

He scratched his head and said, "Uhh... you could... not have someone as awesome as me to take care of you...?"

I scoffed and replied, "Yeah, whatever."

"Hey! Don't be mean to me!"

"Quit arguing, you two. You're like an old married couple. And Archer, get your ass over here and let me put this back on." Doc grumbled, pulling at my arm.

I groaned and said, "Noooo."

"Yessss. Come on, just one-"

"And a half!" I said sharply.

"Fine. One _and_ _a_ _half_ more days before this comes off- for good."

I grumbled and muttered horrible things about him as I sat up, allowing him to tie the blindfold in place over my eyes.

 _I'm gonna burn this thing sometime in the near future..._

"Thank you for letting me put that back on- now that I'm 100 years old. Now, I'm going to go grab you some food and you're going to eat it. Then I'll give you your meds and you're free to go, alright?"

"Ugh... I don't feel like eating anything." I whined.

"Well you need _something_ in your stomach before I give you more meds."

The silence that hung over the room made me want to puke.

"Can't he just drink a milkshake or something?" Toad asked suddenly.

"Oh... how did I not think of that before?! That's a great idea. What kind do you want, Archer?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"...Does that mean I have to drink one?" I asked warily.

"You're either drinking a milkshake or eating a meal- yes, whether you like it or not. Take your pick."

I groaned and said, "Fine... I'll drink a milkshake thingy... But only if it's chocolate. If it's not chocolate, I'm not drinking it."

"That's good because chocolate is the only kind I have. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I sighed, listening to his footsteps as he left the room.

 _It's gonna be a long day..._

* * *

 **A/N: I know, I know- not much happened. But it was a pretty decent length (I think so, anyways), plus an update's an update! And Archer's eyes are almost completely better! ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL?!**

 **Anywho, next chapter will be cute, silly, heavily medicated Archer getting into mischief- so anticipate that. Please leave me reviews! It encourages me to update...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi everyone! I know it's been four months... uhhh... oops? I've been really busy with school because it's the end of the year and I had a lot of tests to deal with! Also I've been pretty depressed lately, so I'm sorry that the updates have been insanely slow. They should be faster after school is over- the last day is May 31st. ...But I'm also going on a trip early in June and the chances of me writing while on said trip are slim... so... yeah. I apologize.**

 **On that happy note, enjoy chapter 7!**

* * *

 **Toad P.O.V**

Archer- after much arguing and fussing- had finally decided to drink his protein shake. I was relieved that he was getting some nutrition, even if it was just a protein shake. After that, Doc had given him his meds and well... now we were hanging out in the rec room.

Everyone was happy to see the sniper, as they had been worried about him for days. Doc had refused to allow them to visit, claiming that having a lot of people around right now would stress Arch out and delay his healing. He was right. Even with the meds to keep him calm, Archer would flinch every time he heard a sound that wasn't immediately recognizable.

But other than that, he seemed fine. ...Well, he was more than a little out of it, but none of our teammates minded in the least. In fact, they thought it was entertaining to see the usually reserved sniper be so outgoing. I was pulled from my thoughts when said sniper yelled at me.

"Toooooad!"

Roach giggled and Archer's head snapped to face his direction, nearly making him fall out of his chair.

"Huh? What is it?" I asked, lacing my fingers through his to show that I was paying attention.

He turned back to me and whined, "Toooooad! There's a giggly pixie over there who won't stop giggling at me!"

I snorted and said, "No, love, that's just Roach. But yes, he could be described as a pixie."

"Hey!" Roach protested, shooting me a glare.

I just smiled back at him.

"Go kill it." Archer whispered, his face deadpan.

"Ummm..."

"You don't want to?" He frowned.

"No, it's just that... uhhh... why should I kill the pixie now when you can do it yourself when you're better?"

A grin spread across his face.

"Yaaaaay!"

"I am NOT a pixie!" Roach grumbled.

"Shush, dumb pixie." Archer ordered, not even bothering to look at him.

I coughed to hide a laugh.

Roach went to retort, but Ghost grabbed his arm and said, "No, dear, don't bother.

They glared at each other for a few moments, seemingly having a telepathic argument. Apparently Ghost won, because Roach huffed in frustration and crossed his arms, slumping back against the couch and glaring at him.

Ghost grinned and ruffled his hair. He scrunched his nose up and tried to bite him.

"Heeeeey... yer lookin' cute today, Toad..." Archer laughed drunkenly, playing with my fingers.

When he said 'lookin', everyone silently glanced over at us, wondering if they had heard correctly.

I chuckled and said, "Oh really?"

He nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Mhmmm... you always look cute."

I believe that was the moment where my heart melted into goop. He couldn't have been more adorable if he tried.

Roach squealed and clapped his hands excitedly, saying, "Oh my god! That was so CUTE! Did you see it, Ghost? Did you?"

"Yes, bug, I did."

At this, Roach squealed again. Archer's head turned in that direction and then back towards me. He frowned.

"Tooooad I'm pretty sure a pterodactyl is getting tortured over there..."

Even grumpy old captain MacTavish couldn't resist laughing at that.

"What the bloody hell did Doc give him?" He asked through his laughter.

I shrugged and replied, "Not sure. All I know is that he should be getting tired in a while."

"No I wooooon't you dumbass! I do what I WANT!" Archer said, sticking his tongue out at me.

I poked it and he screeched, almost jumping out of my lap. He shielded his face with his hands to prevent further attacks.

"AN OCTOPUS TOUCHED MEEEE!" He wailed.

Silence filled the room for about two seconds, then everyone dissolved into fits of laughter.

I laughed so hard I literally almost choked on air.

"A-Archer... it was just my hand. There's no octop-"

"Why the FUCK would your hand be slimy?! THAT THING WAS SLIMY!"

"It wasn't an octopus! Those live in the _ocean,_ dumbass! Not on our base!" Roach laughed.

His hands uncovered his face a bit.

"Are we in the ocean?" He asked curiously.

"Uhhh... no."

"No? But I like the ocean..." He pouted.

I squeezed his hand and said, "We can go to the ocean when you get better, if you like."

His face lit up like the sun.

"Reeeeaaallly?"

Then he yawned. It reminded me of a puppy when it yawns... so cute. Then it finally registered in my mind that when people yawn, it means they're tired. He's getting tired... That makes sense though. It's been a bit over an hour since he was given his meds. Doc had said he would start to get drowsy around that time.

"Yes, but first you need a nap."

He scowled at me and said, "No I _don't!_ 'M not tired, you- ***yawn***... you twat!"

"...That wasn't very nice."

"Well _you're_ not very nice!"

"Just go to sleep, Arch." I sighed, knowing that if I didn't stop this argument, it'd never end.

He gawked at me as if I were insane for suggesting such a thing.

"How am I supposed to sleep with a ravenous giggling pixie wandering around here?! HMMMM, TOAD?!"

"Archer-"

"SEE! You don't knooooow!" He said triumphantly.

I huffed in frustration. Everyone else was laughing- but they wouldn't be if they had to deal with Archer like this. Don't get me wrong, I loved Archer to death, but when he was under the influence of strong meds, he tended to be difficult. Which is why I wanted him to take a nap. It gave me a break and he needed the rest anyways.

"Fine, you can sleep in our room. C'mon-"

"Are there ravenous pixies in there too?" He asked warily.

"Other than you? Nope." I laughed, gathering him in my arms and picking him up.

He wrapped his hands around my neck and held onto me as I walked to the door. The others said their goodbyes as we left the room. When we reached our room, I carefully laid him down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. He was already asleep, having dozed off a couple times on our way here.

"Toad?" He asked quietly.

Well... I had thought he was asleep.

"I'm here. What is it?" I asked.

He yawned for the hundredth time in ten minutes. I smiled and ran my fingers through his soft hair.

"I love you..." He mumbled, nuzzling my hand and kissing the inside of my palm.

My heart melted and I was once again aware of how relieved I was that Archer was going to be okay. I had been so incredibly worried for what seemed like so long that I could hardly believe it.

I leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips, making him smile.

"I love you too, Arch. Now get some rest."

"...Will you stay with me?" He asked, and I could hear the fear in his voice.

"Nothing could possibly be important enough to make me leave." I said, and he laughed.

I laid down with him, my head resting on his chest. We laid there in silence for a few minutes, then he huffed.

"I'm coooold..." He whined.

I sighed and got under the covers with him, pulling him close so that his back was against my chest. He hummed contentedly and I kissed him on the head.

"Better?" I murmured.

"Mhmmm..."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi! It's been just BARELY (literally an hour) over a month since I updated! Lol, I'm proud of myself. Last time it took 4 months, so you guys can't complain! :D Also, I'm pretty sure this is gonna be the final chapter...**

 **REMEMBER: Archer's blindfold comes off on Tuesday! Also Toad's real name is Alex (Alexander).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Monday- Around 6:00pm**

 **Archer P.O.V**

"Uuugh, Toad! Can't I take the blindfold off early? I can see fine..." I whined, rolling over in bed to face Toad's general direction.

"No, Arch. Your eyes need to finish healing properly."

"They _are_ finished."

"No, they're not. You still have one more day left, dear."

"Can I please take it off?"

"No."

"Pleeeeaaaassseee?"

"Nooooo."

"PLEASE?"

"Archer, I'm sorry, but-"

"UGH, you're so mean!"

He sighed and I heard his footsteps approaching the bed a few moments before he sat down beside me. I felt his fingers lace through mine, but I pulled my hand back and turned away from him with a pout.

"Aw, come on, Arch. Don't ignore me..." He whined, trying to make me face him again.

I wouldn't do it.

"Arch... if I was mean, I wouldn't do... this."

I could practically hear the smile in his voice. Before I had time to ask what _this_ meant, a familiar pair of hands grabbed my face and turned my head, allowing a pair of lips to press against mine. I pulled away as if I had been burned, my face as red as a traffic light, and scrambled to the other side of the bed- nearly falling off in the process.

I pointed an accusing finger in his direction and said, "NO! Mean people don't get kisses!"

"Awwww, Arch, you're blushing! That's adorable!"

"I'm not adorable." I growled.

"Yes you are. You're the cutest person ever." Toad laughed.

"I am _not!_ And no more kisses for you!"

"...Ever?"

"Yes! Forever and ever 'n ever..." I giggled, flopping back onto the mountain of pillows Toad had piled against the headboard.

"You're so mean to me." He huffed, the bed dipping as he moved to lay beside me.

"Mhmmm... deal with it, bitch."

He chuckled slightly and replied, "I love it when you're on meds that make you loopy. It's hilarious."

"Hilarious?" I frowned.

"Mhmmm."

He threaded his fingers through my hair as he answered, and I leaned up a bit to kiss his wrist.

He laughed and said, "You're so cute."

"Nooo, I'm a potato."

Silence filled the room for several moments, only broken by my laughter. I didn't need my vision to know what face he was making. And it was funny.

"...A _potato?"_ He asked, thinking he'd heard wrong.

"Means I'm ugly." I said shortly.

"Pffftt, if you're considered ugly, I'd hate to know what I am."

Suddenly a thought occurred to me. I gasped and sat up so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.

"TOAD!" I bellowed.

"What? Why are you yelling? Lay down, silly, I'm right here." He said, grabbing my shoulders and attempting to pull me back down.

I pushed his hands away.

"NO! Oh my god, Toad! Do you think ALIENS exist?!"

"Uhhh-"

"What if WE'RE aliens and we invaded Earth? What if the animals owned the planet and had their own society set up before we arrived?"

"...Arch, I don't think-"

"...What if all of us are secretly high all the time and when we smoke a joint, the crazy things we see are actually _reality?"_

"...Yeah, okay, sure. That... ummm... could be a thing. Maybe. You know how you can find out?"

I gasped and asked, "Hoooowww?"

"By taking a nap." He replied, pushing me down against the mattress.

"Ugh no, that's not true. You need to get off your arse and do some research for once, Alex." I complained, throwing a pillow in a random direction and hoping I'd hit him.

I didn't.

"...Since when do you call me Alex?"

"Since now."

"Now?"

"Yes, _now!_ Do you need me to repeat it again? Hmmm?! I don't have to repeat it for anyone else, _Alex!"_

"...There's no one else here for you to repeat it to..."

"Well I don't _know_ that! If you'd let me take this damned blindfold off, I would! But nooo I need to leave it on for one more day." I grumbled.

I felt him wrap his arms around me and resisted the initial urge to shove him away. Instead, I sighed and reluctantly snuggled closer to him.

"I'm sorry..." He said quietly.

The topic of our conversation slipped away from me, as it had so many other times today. It was replaced with snippets from our earlier discussion- the one about potatoes.

...I just decided to roll with it.

"...Because I'm a potato? Don't be! FRENCH FRIES come from potatoes! Did you know that, Toad?" I asked excitedly.

Without skipping a beat, he chuckled and kissed me on the head, saying, "Yes. Yes I did."

I grinned and kissed him on the cheek, making him laugh.

"I thought you said mean people don't get kisses?" He asked.

"Yes... but you're _my_ mean person."

"Oh, I see. So only I get kisses?"

I yawned, then hummed in agreement. We laid there in silence for several minutes, then a thought rose in my mind. I giggled and tried to stop, but I couldn't. After this happened a couple times, Toad looked down at me.

"What's so funny?" He asked curiously.

"You... your name is Toad." I laughed.

Little did I know that I had been laughing at that all day, but kept forgetting because of the meds in my system.

Toad sighed and said, "Yes, my name is Toad. Don't wear it out."

"Will you make-"

"No, I will not make frog noises. Yes, you need rest. Go to sleep." He ordered with a sigh as he adjusted my blankets.

"But Toooooad..." I whined.

"But Archeerrr..." He replied in the same tone.

I glared at him and he laughed.

"It's no use, love. You only look cuter when you're angry. Now get some rest. You've got a big day tomorrow." He said, giving me a peck on the lips.

"Mhmmm..." I hummed.

After a few minutes, I drifted off to sleep...

* * *

I woke up bright and early the next morning... which meant 4:00. I was so excited to finally be rid of the terrible blindfold that I couldn't sleep. Plus I had no idea it was so early. I had no way of seeing what time it was, so I just assumed it was late enough to get up. I sat up and Toad, feeling the bed shift, whined and grabbed my arm.

"Noooo, Arch, it's too damn early..." He groaned.

"No, it's not! C'mon, let's go!" I said, pulling away from him and carefully standing up.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and dragged me back into bed.

"Stay here..."

I clawed at the sheets, trying to get a hold of something to pull myself away with. I was unsuccessful.

"Ugh, no! Toad, we have to go get Doc! It's morning!"

"It is 4:00 in the morning and we're going back to bed. I refuse to wake up at the asscrack of dawn when Doc probably isn't even up yet." He said, wrapping his legs around me and pulling the blankets over us again.

I tried to wriggle out of his arms, but it was impossible.

"Just go back to sleep, Arch..." He said, his voice laced with sleep.

"But Tooooad..." I whined.

"I'll wake you up at 7:00, then we can go see Doc. Okay?"

I huffed in frustration and tried to struggle out of his hold once more. My efforts were futile. Eventually I realized this and gave up... but I wasn't happy about it.

I groaned and said, "Fine... asshole."

I felt him kiss me on the cheek.

"You know you love me."

"Grrrr."

"Don't growl at me, you little gremlin." Toad laughed.

I growled again- just because he had told me not to- and reluctantly tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

"Archer, wake _up!"_

A pair of hands pulled me into a sitting position, away from the warmth of my bed.

"Noooo..." I whined.

Toad laughed and said, "Hey, you woke me up at 4:00. This is payback."

"...Shut up." I grumbled with a yawn.

"Don't you wanna go see Doc?"

All my tiredness left me in an instant. _...Did_ I want to go see Doc? I wanted to know if I could see, but at the same time I was terrified to find out. What if they took off the blindfold and I was still trapped in the darkness? What if I was never able to see again? That shouldn't happen, because my vision has been steadily improving... but anything is possible. And with my luck, the worst is always to be expected.

"Arch, are you okay?" Toad asked, his voice full of concern.

I felt the bed shift as he sat down beside me. His fingers laced through mine and he gently squeezed my hand, bringing a small smile to my face.

"I'm fine... I just..." I trailed off, not knowing how to describe my worries.

Now that he was asking me to voice them, they felt insignificant.

"What is it, love?" He pressed.

"It's stupid..."

"No, it's not. Nothing that worries you is stupid. Tell me, so I can help."

There was several moments of silence before I finally managed to gather my thoughts.

"Toad... what if I still can't see when I take the blindfold off?" I whispered.

"You've been getting better for days. You'll be able to see, I promise."

"You can't promise that, Toad, and you know it."

He laughed and said, "Oops, too late, already did."

I sighed. That didn't make me feel any better.

"Listen to me." He said, lifting my chin and pressing a kiss to my lips. "You'll be okay."

"But what if I'm not, Toad? What if I'm blind forever and you don't love me anymore? ...What will I do if I'm left alone in the dark?"

"You'll never be alone as long as my heart is beating. If nothing else, I can promise that."

He wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on top of mine. I felt warm and safe in his arms, and the anxiety in my chest eased a bit. It was slightly easier to breathe now that I had shared my concerns with him... My stomach still felt like it was in knots though.

"I'm scared..."

"Don't be scared. I'll be right here."

"I know," I smiled, leaning up to give him a kiss. "You always are."

Ten minutes later, we were in the infirmary with Doc, ready to take the blindfold off. I was so scared. The possibility of being blind for the rest of my life terrified me more than words could ever describe. But I couldn't wait any longer. I _needed_ to know. With shaking hands, I reached up and pulled the blindfold off.

I opened my eyes.

After blinking a couple times, I could see the rows of beds that surrounded the one I was sitting on. Everything was white. The walls, the floor, the sheets... I had never been more relieved to see the infirmary in my life.

Tears filled my eyes as everything- all the fear, panic, and anxiety I had felt for the past week- disappeared. I could see. I could actually _see!_ I was overjoyed. Seeing my expression, Toad smiled and pulled me into a hug. I heard Doc quietly leave the room.

"I told you you'd be okay." He laughed.

"...Shut up." I choked out, hitting him in the chest.

He laughed again and I pulled away from him to see his smile. The one I'd missed more than anything. It made me so happy just to look at him and appreciate the fact that I _c_ _ould._

He wiped my tears away and gave me a peck on the lips.

"I love you."

I smiled and said, "I love you too... You have no idea how much I missed seeing your face."

He laughed and asked, "This ugly thing? How could anyone miss that?"

"I did... because you're cute."

"I am not."

"...Don't argue with me. I may love you, but I'll still make you sleep on the couch."

He rolled his eyes.

 _"Sure_ you will."

I laughed and hugged him again.

"Whoa, easy there. Are you trying to crush me?" He laughed.

"I don't care..." I sniffled, "'M not letting go of you for the rest of the day."

He thought I was kidding... I wasn't.


End file.
